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CALGARY — The southbound lanes of Crowchild Trail reopened in time for the Tuesday morning commute after crews replaced a ruptured 78-year-old water main.

Following a day of headaches for commuters in the southwest, officials said the road had reopened Tuesday around 3 a.m.

“We are getting Calgarians back on the move,” said Bruce Burrell, director of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency.

Meanwhile, officials are allaying concerns about Calgary’s aging pipes, assuring that the city has a successful program in place that monitors and replaces mains before they become a problem.

City crews spent all day Monday at Crowchild Trail and 33rd Avenue S.W. working to repair one of the largest water main breaks the city has experienced.

A passing motorist first noticed water pooling on the roads at around 10:15 p.m. Saturday. At one point, the water was so high, it was lapping the doors of the first police cruiser at the scene.

As crews worked to assess the issue, the southbound lanes of Crowchild Trail from Bow Trail to 33rd Avenue were closed all day Sunday and Monday. Special access was allowed only for local, transit and emergency traffic.

Crews initially thought just a small section of the pipe had burst, but later discovered they were dealing with a six-metre long crack.

The excavation was complicated by the discovery of an abandoned ATCO gas line that the company had to come and remove.

By Monday afternoon, the ruptured section was successfully removed and replaced with a new PVC piece. After pressure testing the main, and backfilling, road crews made plans to lay 230 tonnes of asphalt overnight.

Dan Limacher, director of water services, said the 40-centimetre cast-iron water main that broke was installed in 1934. But he emphasized that not every old pipe needs replacing.

“There are some older than this one and in good condition,” he added.

There’s still no word on what caused Saturday’s rupture. But he said pipes can burst for many different reasons, including weather swings and soil conditions.

However, a main replacement capital program established 25 years ago is making sure the city’s pipes remain in top shape. He estimated 15 to 20 kilometres of water mains have been replaced.

Thanks to the program, the city now sees only about 300 main breaks a year — low for North American standards — compared with the 1,800 breaks the city recorded annually a quarter century ago, he said.

Limacher added the vintage cast-iron piping now makes up only 15 per cent of the existing water mains in Calgary.

Area alderman John Mar was urging motorists to be patient with the repairs Monday.

“This is with no question one of the largest commuter thoroughfares that we have in the City of Calgary, but I think Calgarians understand this is an emergency and we have to deal with it.”

In addition to the Crowchild Trail water main break over the weekend, the city also contended with a sanitary main blockage in the Glenmore area that was quickly fixed, and a water main break in South Calgary that cut off access to running water for 40 homes.

Crews began repairing that break Monday morning, but residents were still without running water all day, the city said, adding this rupture was unrelated to the one on Crowchild Trail.

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